Be Goth at Church

Many Goths have those Sundays when they want to go to church but don't want to scare the pastor and the church congregation. It is a common misconception that all goths are satanists, so if you're a goth and you don't want to hide it, even at church, read this and remember God judges by our heart, not by what we wear. Of course God expects us to use good judgement when we present ourselves to others. Remember that you are your religion before you are "gothic", your faith and beliefs are much more important than your dress sense.

Steps

  1. Determine what is going 'too far'. Avoid shirts with extremely noticeable skulls, and band shirts, no matter how much you love your music.
  2. Avoid the bullets and spikes. A small mohawk or small spikes or studs are probably fine for guys, while just any hairstyle is great for girls. Don't do anything too shocking.
  3. Wear black at church. Goths can wear any color; your clothes don't have to be black! However, keep it fairly neutral . And in some churches, jeans are perfectly acceptable to be worn to services, even with rips! Just make sure the rips aren't too out of control.
  4. Avoid cursing. This is disrespectful.
  5. Wear jewelry. There are many bits of Gothic jewelry with crucifixes, crosses, and Ithacus on them, so use the opportunity well. In terms of other jewelry, keep it fairly low key. You'll have plenty of opportunities to wear your spikes outside of church.

Tips

  • Be prepared for rejection but don't be surprised if you are welcomed.
  • Guys- Black, Dark green, Dark red and Indigo colored button down shirts and black jean look great and are comfy
  • No one cares what shoes you are wearing. As long as you are wearing some, and they don't have too many spikes, they should be fine.
  • Look for contemporary churches, they are more likely to accept you.
  • Hoodies are great, as long as they are not too casual. Even those jackets that you can decorate with pins and stuff.
  • Synagogues tend to be pretty loose about clothing, but be careful of Orthodox Jewish synagogues and other conservative congregations.
  • Lots of churches don't especially care what you wear to the church, as long as it covers up enough body and isn't too shocking. Just put on your every day goth clothes and try to take out anything too full of cursing, skulls or the devil.
  • Piercings are fine, just take out the more extreme ones. You can keep the nose ring in as long as it is small and a stud, so that it doesn't get caught on anyone, and earrings are obviously fine.
  • If your pastor/priest/vicar asks you to remove an item of jewelry, remove the offending item, and politely ask later what was wrong with it.
  • Realize this about Christianity: just because someone goes to a church does not mean that they are a Christian. Just because someone is a Christian doesn't mean that they go to church. Be careful about having preconceived notions about "church people" before you go. You never know, there's the chance you might be accepted there.
  • Be respectful. If someone offends you, remember that that person was representing themselves, not their religion. Don't forget you might be making that person feel offended by dressing the way you will at church. It's good to be who you are, but it's not good to shove your personal beliefs upon someone else.
  • Be kind. The reason someone might be mean to you is because they might think that you're a bad person. If you are kind in response to their rudeness, it will throw them off guard and kill their judgmental opinion of people's appearance.
  • Wear appropriate clothes. Girls- A white/pink long sleeved shirt with a dark girl tie and dark wash skinny leg jeans look great.
  • If you like to wear nail polish, go ahead!
  • Some churches are still "old school" and require you to wear hats. If so, then girls wear a tasteful hat,. For guys, wear a respectable hat. No caps or beanies are allowed.

Warnings

  • This information largely depends on the church and the attitudes of the people attending. There are churches that are relaxed don't care very much about issues of dress code, and then there are churches which do care (due to tradition and other factors).
  • Some churches will take a dim view of it, so be prepared for the kids and some adults to be mean. Just because they are at church, doesn't mean they aren't human and won't be unpleasant.
  • Don't change who you are just to please others. Don't go out of your way to offend church members who may not appreciate your style, but as long as you accept them for who and what they are, they should extend the same courtesy.
  • Don't be a hypocrite Although you may need to tone it down for Sunday morning, you should be who you are. Don't pretend to be Christian or Jewish or whatever if you are not.

Things You'll Need

  • Your clothing
  • A cross, crucifix or ichthus (if you see others wearing them)

Related Articles

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Be_Goth_at_Church&oldid=325712"